Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

27 Ranked Colleges
782 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 57,618 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,459 and had an average of $30,084 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,457 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,325 and $31,526 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 782 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, SRU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,926 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Read full report on Social Work at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. West Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

WCUPA also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,495 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#4

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Kutztown University is located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Kutztown University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read more about Social Work at Kutztown University

#5

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lock Haven University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. LHU is located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, LHU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend LHU.

Read more about Social Work at LHU

#6

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It awarded 34 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Edinboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Full Edinboro Social Work Report

#7

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #7. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Ship not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read more about Social Work at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

#8

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Millersville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Millersville has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Millersville

#9

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Mansfield University is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Mansfield University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University is $19,065 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Mansfield University

#10

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Cal U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at California University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Social Work at Pitt

#12

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Temple University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Temple University Social Work Report

#13

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University is $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read more about Social Work at East Stroudsburg University

#14

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Bible College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Lancaster Bible College is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Lancaster Bible College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lancaster Bible College is $22,349 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Lancaster Bible College

#15

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania

Cairn University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cairn, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,859 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Cairn.

Full Cairn Social Work Report

#16

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Etown has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Etown is $26,937 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Etown Social Work Report

#17

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Carlow is a small school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 12 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Carlow did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,002 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Carlow.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carlow Social Work Report

#18

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. La Salle is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

La Salle also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,763 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend La Salle.

Read more about Social Work at La Salle

#19

Eastern University

Saint Davids, Pennsylvania

Eastern University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. EU is located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, EU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,284 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend EU.

Read full report on Social Work at Eastern University

#20

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania

Gannon University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Gannon has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,431 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Gannon University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Gannon University Social Work Report

#21

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Gwynedd Mercy University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Gwynedd - Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Gwynedd - Mercy also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,124 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Gwynedd - Mercy.

Read more about Social Work at Gwynedd Mercy University

#22

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Seton Hill University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Greensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Seton Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $23,620 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Seton Hill.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Seton Hill University Social Work Report

#23

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania

Saint Francis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #23. Saint Francis University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Saint Francis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Francis is $28,643 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Francis

#24

Alvernia University

Reading, Pennsylvania

Alvernia University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Alvernia, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Alvernia University is $27,851 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Full Alvernia Social Work Report

#25

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Marywood.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Marywood Social Work Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Social Work Schools

Find Schools Near You